Sport

Mills: My battling Minstermen proved a point

YORK City manager Gary Mills insisted his team’s battling performance in a 1-1 draw at Cheltenham proved his players are no soft touch.

Mills believes there is a theory in certain League Two circles that his side cannot cut it in a physical contest.

But, after watching Jason Walker’s 84th-minute equaliser cancel out Shaun Harrad’s second-half goal for the hosts, Mills was delighted that his side demonstrated they are no pushovers against Mark Yates’ competitive promotion hopefuls.

The Minstermen chief said: “The result against Exeter in our last match was cruel on us, but we’ve gone to Cheltenham and put in a strong performance against a strong side.

“We gave as good as we got and proved we can mix it, even though a lot of teams in this division think we can’t.

“When we needed to put our foot in or hook the ball away we did and I was very happy with the lads. The response after their goal was immense and it’s another big point against another team who will know York City are a tough side to beat.”

An injury to Alex Rodman, coupled with the absence of fellow wingers Ashley Chambers, Oli Johnson and Michael Coulson, caused Mills to experiment with a new 4-1-3-2 formation at Whaddon Road.

Rodman, who is ineligible for this weekend’s home match against parent club Aldershot anyway, pulled a hamstring muscle during Friday afternoon’s training session in Gloucestershire, leading to a recall for Lanre Oyebanjo at right-back with Dan Parslow shielding the defence in midfield and Matty Blair pushing up front to partner Walker in attack.

On the system’s success, Mills added: “We’ve not had much luck with strikers and, when Alex Rodman pulled his hamstring, I had to have a think and I fancied Blairy through the middle with his pace and he got in a couple of times.

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“We also had Pars working in front of the back four and he’s disciplined in there, which is what we wanted. Lanre did not get out of defence as much as we would have liked because they are a direct side and they pushed us back, but I thought the system worked well for us really.”

Following Walker’s goal, City still needed to rely on ’keeper Michael Ingham to make a stoppage-time double save to deny Jermaine McGlashan and Harrad, which also earned him the plaudits of his manager, who enthused: “Inghy’s double save was magnificent. He picked up a lot of pace to get across those two or three yards to make the second one and that’s superb.”

Mills is now hoping the neck injury that caused centre-back David McGurk to be stretchered off after Harrad’s goal will clear up in time for the Aldershot game, saying: “He got spasms from his neck right down his back and was in a neck brace after he came off but we think he will be okay for next week.”

McGurk was replaced by teenager Tom Allan, but Mills also had praise for the response of another substitute, Jamie Reed, who was given a 20-minute run out despite handing in a transfer request last week. The City boss added: “Reedy might want to move on but I brought him on and he did a professional job and did well for us.”

Comments (12)

With the injuries we already had and now Rodman it will be folly to let Jamie Reed go now. If GM wanted to play 4-4-2 at Cheltenham why not play Reed,
A recognised striker, from the start.I,m not surprised he wants to go because he has never really had chance to establish himself in the team and just had bit parts-even so he scores goals!

With the injuries we already had and now Rodman it will be folly to let Jamie Reed go now. If GM wanted to play 4-4-2 at Cheltenham why not play Reed,
A recognised striker, from the start.I,m not surprised he wants to go because he has never really had chance to establish himself in the team and just had bit parts-even so he scores goals!ian923

With the injuries we already had and now Rodman it will be folly to let Jamie Reed go now. If GM wanted to play 4-4-2 at Cheltenham why not play Reed,
A recognised striker, from the start.I,m not surprised he wants to go because he has never really had chance to establish himself in the team and just had bit parts-even so he scores goals!

With the injuries we already had and now Rodman it will be folly to let Jamie Reed go now. If GM wanted to play 4-4-2 at Cheltenham why not play Reed,
A recognised striker, from the start.I,m not surprised he wants to go because he has never really had chance to establish himself in the team and just had bit parts-even so he scores goals!ian923

I'm sure Mills is looking at recruiting a suitable forward, he just doesn't rate Reed and neither does anybody else who has seen him play and understands football, but I agree even Reedy is better than nobody so best keep him around for now if we can't get anything else

I'm sure Mills is looking at recruiting a suitable forward, he just doesn't rate Reed and neither does anybody else who has seen him play and understands football, but I agree even Reedy is better than nobody so best keep him around for now if we can't get anything elselord_love_rocket

This defensive formation has served us well in away games, and we have picked up some valueable points. But the fans obviously expect a bit more when we are playing at home. The ability to change formation and tactics is not easy, that is probably why we have struggled at Bootham Crescent. Aldershot (weather permitting) is another vital match, we could do with the three points.

This defensive formation has served us well in away games, and we have picked up some valueable points. But the fans obviously expect a bit more when we are playing at home. The ability to change formation and tactics is not easy, that is probably why we have struggled at Bootham Crescent. Aldershot (weather permitting) is another vital match, we could do with the three points.OLD - HEAD

play up city, you obviously weremn't at the game. Yes it may be a goo point given the ire performance we gave.

There was no shape, a shape that could have been had by playing blair on the wing attacking their left back who was largely untested and when he was was weak.and the ideal opportunity for a blair walker combination up the top.

I think Mills doesnt want to be proved wrong about 442 that is why he chose not to put Reed in.

As for Reed he did more work in the twenty minutes on the pitch then Walker did all 90. But you will never see Walker dropped even though Reeds more potent and it is goals we need right now!

Simple against Aldershot lets have Reed and Walker up top together once and for all. And if you really dont like Reed then play him so he scores goals and attracts a bigger fee!

play up city, you obviously weremn't at the game. Yes it may be a goo point given the ire performance we gave.
There was no shape, a shape that could have been had by playing blair on the wing attacking their left back who was largely untested and when he was was weak.and the ideal opportunity for a blair walker combination up the top.
I think Mills doesnt want to be proved wrong about 442 that is why he chose not to put Reed in.
As for Reed he did more work in the twenty minutes on the pitch then Walker did all 90. But you will never see Walker dropped even though Reeds more potent and it is goals we need right now!
Simple against Aldershot lets have Reed and Walker up top together once and for all. And if you really dont like Reed then play him so he scores goals and attracts a bigger fee!bartsimmo

bartsimmo wrote:
play up city, you obviously weremn't at the game. Yes it may be a goo point given the ire performance we gave. There was no shape, a shape that could have been had by playing blair on the wing attacking their left back who was largely untested and when he was was weak.and the ideal opportunity for a blair walker combination up the top. I think Mills doesnt want to be proved wrong about 442 that is why he chose not to put Reed in. As for Reed he did more work in the twenty minutes on the pitch then Walker did all 90. But you will never see Walker dropped even though Reeds more potent and it is goals we need right now! Simple against Aldershot lets have Reed and Walker up top together once and for all. And if you really dont like Reed then play him so he scores goals and attracts a bigger fee!

Oh no i wasnt but listened to radio york. they have played them together and it didnt work apparently so what we gonna gain from that? Well like have i have said before keep the faith remeber we have took points or got a reasonble draw from some the top sides who are battling for promotion to the 1st division, when we have just got promotion to this division and im sure millsy is on the look out for players who are gonna only enhance the team and not be rushed into panic buying

[quote][p][bold]bartsimmo[/bold] wrote:
play up city, you obviously weremn't at the game. Yes it may be a goo point given the ire performance we gave. There was no shape, a shape that could have been had by playing blair on the wing attacking their left back who was largely untested and when he was was weak.and the ideal opportunity for a blair walker combination up the top. I think Mills doesnt want to be proved wrong about 442 that is why he chose not to put Reed in. As for Reed he did more work in the twenty minutes on the pitch then Walker did all 90. But you will never see Walker dropped even though Reeds more potent and it is goals we need right now! Simple against Aldershot lets have Reed and Walker up top together once and for all. And if you really dont like Reed then play him so he scores goals and attracts a bigger fee![/p][/quote]Oh no i wasnt but listened to radio york. they have played them together and it didnt work apparently so what we gonna gain from that? Well like have i have said before keep the faith remeber we have took points or got a reasonble draw from some the top sides who are battling for promotion to the 1st division, when we have just got promotion to this division and im sure millsy is on the look out for players who are gonna only enhance the team and not be rushed into panic buyingplay up city

so basically love rocket if anyone is of the opinion we should keep reedy they dont understand football,its not that complicated a game really the object is to score goals and Reed does that,even tho most of the time he,s being played out of position.As for having tried the 442 and it not worked G M i think tried that for about as long as he,s given Reedy.maybe you can come back and explain the theory regarding Reed when he,s scoring 20 plus goals a season for somebody else in a 442 most likley against us like all the other strikers we let go and arnt good enough for us always come back to haunt us.

so basically love rocket if anyone is of the opinion we should keep reedy they dont understand football,its not that complicated a game really the object is to score goals and Reed does that,even tho most of the time he,s being played out of position.As for having tried the 442 and it not worked G M i think tried that for about as long as he,s given Reedy.maybe you can come back and explain the theory regarding Reed when he,s scoring 20 plus goals a season for somebody else in a 442 most likley against us like all the other strikers we let go and arnt good enough for us always come back to haunt us.YoRkIe59

Sir Alex - great comment - no team has played us off the park this season, we have put in some excellent performances (especially away from home) without looking out of our depth in this league. with a bit more luck we could be in or around the play off area. We have 35 points from 27 games - if we perform similar for the rest of the season we should end up with 60 points. At the start of the season 80% of the supporters would have settled for that as an excellent return. Consolidate and build on our return to the Football League - we are never going to be able to pump a couple of million into the club to equal the likes of Crawley, Fleetwood etc but what we can do, we recruit players who can do it on dedication and craft, by a team of players who want success for York City and themselves. The old Wimbledon did it - no stars but worked as a group, a team that was hard to beat and gave 110% to the cause. Keep the faith, be proud, support those who pull on the City shirt each week. Every player wants to represent the Club and succeed - they do it for us - the supporters.

Sir Alex - great comment - no team has played us off the park this season, we have put in some excellent performances (especially away from home) without looking out of our depth in this league. with a bit more luck we could be in or around the play off area. We have 35 points from 27 games - if we perform similar for the rest of the season we should end up with 60 points. At the start of the season 80% of the supporters would have settled for that as an excellent return. Consolidate and build on our return to the Football League - we are never going to be able to pump a couple of million into the club to equal the likes of Crawley, Fleetwood etc but what we can do, we recruit players who can do it on dedication and craft, by a team of players who want success for York City and themselves. The old Wimbledon did it - no stars but worked as a group, a team that was hard to beat and gave 110% to the cause. Keep the faith, be proud, support those who pull on the City shirt each week. Every player wants to represent the Club and succeed - they do it for us - the supporters.redwhiteblue

bartsimmo wrote:
play up city, you obviously weremn't at the game. Yes it may be a goo point given the ire performance we gave. There was no shape, a shape that could have been had by playing blair on the wing attacking their left back who was largely untested and when he was was weak.and the ideal opportunity for a blair walker combination up the top. I think Mills doesnt want to be proved wrong about 442 that is why he chose not to put Reed in. As for Reed he did more work in the twenty minutes on the pitch then Walker did all 90. But you will never see Walker dropped even though Reeds more potent and it is goals we need right now! Simple against Aldershot lets have Reed and Walker up top together once and for all. And if you really dont like Reed then play him so he scores goals and attracts a bigger fee!

Can you remind me who scored the equaliser, bartsimmo? People on here fail to understand that Reedy and JW play different roles. The big problem with Reedy (who, let us not forget, was originally signed to partner Rankine) is that he is simply unable to hold the ball up to bring our attacking midfielders into play, which is the style the team plays and which has brought us considerable success. JW is much, much better at doing this. Last season and this, the goals have been shared fairly evenly around the front and midfield players, rather than us relying on a single player. The idea behind this style is to give us more fluidity and create more goal-scoring opportunities - this is where the injuries to Coulson, Chambers and Johnson have hampered things.

[quote][p][bold]bartsimmo[/bold] wrote:
play up city, you obviously weremn't at the game. Yes it may be a goo point given the ire performance we gave. There was no shape, a shape that could have been had by playing blair on the wing attacking their left back who was largely untested and when he was was weak.and the ideal opportunity for a blair walker combination up the top. I think Mills doesnt want to be proved wrong about 442 that is why he chose not to put Reed in. As for Reed he did more work in the twenty minutes on the pitch then Walker did all 90. But you will never see Walker dropped even though Reeds more potent and it is goals we need right now! Simple against Aldershot lets have Reed and Walker up top together once and for all. And if you really dont like Reed then play him so he scores goals and attracts a bigger fee![/p][/quote]Can you remind me who scored the equaliser, bartsimmo? People on here fail to understand that Reedy and JW play different roles. The big problem with Reedy (who, let us not forget, was originally signed to partner Rankine) is that he is simply unable to hold the ball up to bring our attacking midfielders into play, which is the style the team plays and which has brought us considerable success. JW is much, much better at doing this. Last season and this, the goals have been shared fairly evenly around the front and midfield players, rather than us relying on a single player. The idea behind this style is to give us more fluidity and create more goal-scoring opportunities - this is where the injuries to Coulson, Chambers and Johnson have hampered things.Tug job

redwhiteblue wrote:
Sir Alex - great comment - no team has played us off the park this season, we have put in some excellent performances (especially away from home) without looking out of our depth in this league. with a bit more luck we could be in or around the play off area. We have 35 points from 27 games - if we perform similar for the rest of the season we should end up with 60 points. At the start of the season 80% of the supporters would have settled for that as an excellent return. Consolidate and build on our return to the Football League - we are never going to be able to pump a couple of million into the club to equal the likes of Crawley, Fleetwood etc but what we can do, we recruit players who can do it on dedication and craft, by a team of players who want success for York City and themselves. The old Wimbledon did it - no stars but worked as a group, a team that was hard to beat and gave 110% to the cause. Keep the faith, be proud, support those who pull on the City shirt each week. Every player wants to represent the Club and succeed - they do it for us - the supporters.

Totally agree sir alex and its all about keeping the faith with the team and with Millsy and the board to take the team forward And like u say we havent been played of the park. personally think we just need little more quality in the midfield, a big striker and an old head just to give the young uns words to settle em when its not goin well!!!

[quote][p][bold]redwhiteblue[/bold] wrote:
Sir Alex - great comment - no team has played us off the park this season, we have put in some excellent performances (especially away from home) without looking out of our depth in this league. with a bit more luck we could be in or around the play off area. We have 35 points from 27 games - if we perform similar for the rest of the season we should end up with 60 points. At the start of the season 80% of the supporters would have settled for that as an excellent return. Consolidate and build on our return to the Football League - we are never going to be able to pump a couple of million into the club to equal the likes of Crawley, Fleetwood etc but what we can do, we recruit players who can do it on dedication and craft, by a team of players who want success for York City and themselves. The old Wimbledon did it - no stars but worked as a group, a team that was hard to beat and gave 110% to the cause. Keep the faith, be proud, support those who pull on the City shirt each week. Every player wants to represent the Club and succeed - they do it for us - the supporters.[/p][/quote]Totally agree sir alex and its all about keeping the faith with the team and with Millsy and the board to take the team forward And like u say we havent been played of the park. personally think we just need little more quality in the midfield, a big striker and an old head just to give the young uns words to settle em when its not goin well!!!play up city